Regarding the Problem of Researching the Peculiarities of the Personality Hardiness of the Future Professionals

Background and aim of study:

The problem of the behavior of a person in the life situations connected with changes in the society has recently become very actual. Thus the rapid socio- economic development of the society and also the increase of the level of social ill-being and the drop in the level of life, emergency situations which happen in the environment have significant influence on the psychological security of a personality that leads to the development of the unfavorable psychological and somatic conditions which effect the psychological health of a person. That is why the necessary condition for preserving the psychological health of a person is the activation of personal resources, one of which is hardiness. The objective of the research was the study of peculiarities of hardiness in future professionals (psychology students being the models).

Research methods:

Theoretic – analysis, generalization and systematization of the scientific researches dedicated to the defined problem; empirical – observation, conversation and particular techniques: S. Maddi’s hardiness survey (in adaptation of D. O. Leontyev), life-purpose orientations of D. O. Leontyev, the method of the volitional self-control level assessment by A. G. Zverkov and E. V. Eidman; statistical – correlation analysis by Spearman and the Mann- Whitney U-criterion. Psychology students of the 1 st and 4 th years of studying participated in the research.

Results:

In the psychology science hardiness is regarded as a personality trait which allows to cope effectively with distress with and aim of personal and professional growth (according to S. Maddi, D. O. Leontyev and others). Therefore, for the contemporary professional it is crucially important to have the high enough level of hardiness to withstand the life challenges, react to them having more positive emotions and be involved in social relationships with the people around. In the course of the research it was established that the students of the 1 st and 4 th years of studying have the medium prevailing level of hardiness (X=77.82 and X=77.76), which proves their active involvement in life processes and ability to demonstrate good performance in different kinds of activities. Although there are psychology students with the low (26% and 11%) and high (18% and 11%) levels of hardiness in both studied groups. The obtained results by the “involvement” indicator prove the prevalence among the researched group of students of the 1 st year of the medium level (X=32.96) according to this indicator and among the 4 th year students of the low level (X=29.90), therefore the students of the 4 th year get insufficient satisfaction from their own activity and in the stressful situation may lose self-confidence. By the indicator “control” the medium level (X=27.73 and X=28.83) was detected in both researched groups, thereby they can set goals in life and fully realize them. According to the indicator “risk acceptance” among the studied group of the 1 st year students the medium level (X=17.13) prevails and among the student of the 4 th year the high level (X=19.03) predominates, which points out to their readiness to act even in those situations where success is not guaranteed. Although statistically reliable differences in both groups by the indicator of hardiness and its structural components were not established (U=423.5, p<0.05). In the works of the researched groups of the 1 st and 4 th years of students there was detected the close connection of hardiness with the following components of life-purpose orientations as “life awareness” (r=0.90, r=0.69), “purposes of life” (r=0.92, r=0.54), “life productiveness” (r=0.86, r=0.42), “locus of control of I” (r=0.86, r=0.66), “locus of control of life” (r=0.77, r=0.54 when р=0.01), and also the indicators of volitional self-regulation (r=0.72, r=0.73, when p<0.01). On the basis of the obtained results the groups of psychology students with the high and low hardiness levels were identified.

Conclusion:

On the basis of the obtained results of the research it has been established that among psychology students of the 1 st and 4 th years of studying the medium level of hardiness is predominant. Psychology students with the high level of hardiness have the high level of volitional self-regulation, certain goals in life and the high level of their awareness, the ability to build and control their own life, make decisions and realize them in spite of the external obstacles. Psychology students with the low level of hardiness have the low level of self-control in activities, low and medium levels of general life awareness.

DOI and UDC:

UDC: 159.923.2-021.484:37.011.3-057.87 DOI: 10.26697/ijes.2020.2.24

Information about the authors:

Hrek Olena Mykolaivna – Doctor of Philosophy in Psychological Sciences, Associate Professor, Associate Professor of Developmental Psychology and Social Communications, South Ukrainian National Pedagogical University named after K. D. Ushynsky, Odesa, Ukraine. Research interests: psychology of information security, media psychology, creativity psychology, recreational psychology; https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7925-0939.